CFAR Blog - June 16, 2011
Avatars and AIDS
Meet Jenaia Morane - my avatar and 3D ambassador in the virtual
world of Second Life™. In the three
years and eight months since I first stepped into her shoes, Jenaia has changed
how I see myself, helped me rethink and reinvent my career, and introduced me
to a whole new group of friends and colleagues working on HIV/AIDS around the
world. Through this blog I’ll be sharing
her adventures building virtual communities dedicated to HIV/AIDS work, and
inviting you to do the same. Virtual
worlds and social media platforms offer low cost, effective and entertaining
ways to engage, educate and empower people in your organization. They are also
a great way to market, raise funds and build community.
But first, a bit about Jenaia.
I have my 85-year-old mother to thank for my introduction to
virtual worlds. Back in 2007 she became seriously ill and I was her primary
caregiver. Unable to work and still care
for her, I was feeling a bit isolated. Then a friend suggested an online resource
for caregiver support groups. One of those
groups was held in Second Life (SL)™.
For those unfamiliar with the different kinds of virtual
worlds, it is important to note that SL is “user generated.” This means it is
not a game (though you can certainly play games in it), but a way to meet,
collaborate, and create content for a variety of purposes. For example, there
are currently more than 600 accredited colleges and universities offering
courses in SL. Likewise, many large corporations use SL for prototyping,
meetings between geographically distributed team members, and conferences. What
makes this possible is the free 3D building toolkit that is included with every
account. Imagine recreating your college campus, building a giant HIV model or
a scene from Harry Potter. The possibilities are literally limitless, which makes
SL a hotbed for creative geniuses of all kinds.
To add to the intriguing possibilities, each avatar is completely
customizable. When you sign up for an
account, you are issued one of 10 generic avatars, which you can change to your
heart’s content. Fancy being a sun
tanned surfer dude or a fashion model? No problem. How about a fire breathing
dragon, Lost in Space robot, or a Wookie from Star Wars? I’ve seen all of these and more. Being an avatar levels the playing field in
terms of appearance and lets you express and explore all sides of your
personality. But back to my story.
Not long after entering Second Life™, I met two health librarians who
had just received a grant from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to build
an island for HIV/AIDS education in SL.
When they heard about my experiences as a storyteller I was invited to
join the team. The result was the island
of Karuna, which opened on World AIDS Day 2008. You can read my opening day
presentation, and see a video of the event here:
http://www.karunahiv.com/aboutus/wadcelebrations.html
Since its launch in 2008, Karuna has gone through several
transformations. The most important of
these has been the shift in focus from delivering factual information through
traditional means such as lectures, brochures, and library materials to an
emphasis on narrative. What this means is that we use the stories of those
dealing with HIV/AIDS to spark interest, generate empathy, debunk stereotypes
and allay fears. We have discovered that
stories help people understand and feel motivated to help others in the fight
against HIV/AIDS. Karuna has also grown
from a single island focused on a single purpose to six islands where several
projects are being pursued simultaneously. Three of these – the 3D AIDS Quilt,
the Uncle D Story Quest, and the Virtual Run for FUNds - are illustrated in the
short video below.
http://animoto.com/play/ghjqpT43p2HPh7Ak0spj3w#
Now that you’ve had a chance to take a look, stop by the
Karuna Website (www.karunahiv.com), start
thinking about what kind of avatar you’d like to be, and drop me an email at jenaia@karunahi.com when you’re ready to
start your second life. Oh, and be sure to stay tuned to this blog as the saga
of Jenaia Morane continues and we share ways your organization can enlist the
power of virtual worlds and social media in your work.
copyright 2011 by Jena Ball. All Rights reserved.
